Notes of Faith November 18, 2025

Commands and Promises

By faith Sarah herself also received strength.

Hebrews 11:11

Scott J. Hafemann wrote, “Every command of God is built upon a promise from God. Therefore every divine call to action (obedience) is, at the same time, a divine summons to trust in God’s promises (faith). The promises of God are commands in disguise and vice versa. God commands what he commands because he promises what he promises.”1

We often think of Abraham as a man of faith and Sarah as a woman who wavered and even laughed at God’s promise. But that’s not the way she is portrayed in the book of Hebrews. Though there were times she was impatient or wanted to doubt God’s promise, Sarah remained faithful to Him. She was strengthened in her faith and believed God would do as He said.

Do you ever waver in your faith? Like Abraham and Sarah, we’re not perfect. We grow impatient and fretful. But when we realize that every promise of God is also a command and every command contains the seed of a promise, it helps us trust and obey and find strength. As you read the Bible today, keep your eyes focused on God’s commands and promises. He will strengthen you!

Every time we disobey God it is because we are not trusting him.

Scott J. Hafemann

1 Scott J. Hafemann, The God of Promise and the Life of Faith (Crossway Books, 2001), 87.

Even the call of Jesus to “follow Me”, is a command and a promise through faith for an abundant life now and an eternal life with Him!

Let me rephrase what Scott J. Hafemann said above…

Every time we sin against God, it is because we are not believing and trusting in what we know to be true about our relationship with God.

John 14:15

15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 14:21

21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Let us more fervently seek to abide in Christ (John 15), to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5), to obey His commands that we might not sin against God!

Pastor Dale